Dalai Lama
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It would be common courtesy to credit the author(s) then.
S O S Bottle Of Whiskey !
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It would be common courtesy to credit the author(s) then.
Dalai Lama
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You know what, never mind.
Here: http://forum.pakistani defence.com/lofiversion/index.php/t62528.html
Oh, and the missing first paragraph:
Here: http://forum.pakistani defence.com/lofiversion/index.php/t62528.html
Oh, and the missing first paragraph:
Windjammer
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Good effort.....Albeit, the link doesn't work,.... nonetheless not THE source to my article.!!!
BTW, in case you overlooked, at the end of the article I posted, there is an image also. !!
Dalai Lama
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Actually genius, that link is censored. Hence the space between "pakistani" and "defence" (Are you not dexterous enough to remove the space?). As for the image, I dunno'... you do have a reputation of pulling these images out your a** at times so if it's not "THE" source, why don't you post your source to the article. What's the big deal eh?
Nevertheless, the link I posted leads to the same article does it not?
Windjammer
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Seems some one has developed the tendency to talk from their ***.........
The original article, "Bottle of Whiskey" appeared in a book dating back from 1967, along the way, others have added new informations and facts into it, like initially it was reported that the fourth Vampire after being damaged also crashed, but later it became evident that it managed to limp back to the base. AFAIK, Tufail Kaiser. never participated in the 1965 war, hence, whatever he wrote had to be from composite narratives.
Areesh
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Obviously it isn't an obligation on us to write anything that is for the consumption of BR fans.
Windjammer
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A Gnat Surrenders
The loss of four Vampires on the opening day of the 65 War was a major blow to the morale of the IAF and, it was felt in all quarters that something had to be done urgently. A grudge fight was, therefore, planned and the nimble Gnat was chosen as the most suitable fighter. Its small size, good turning ability and fast acceleration were seen to be lethal attributes vis-à-vis PAFs main fighter, the Sabre. A detachment of eight Gnats from Ambala-based No 23 Sqn was flown to Pathankot and Sqn Ldr William Greene was deputed to lead it. Greene had done his Fighter Leaders Course from UK and was busy imparting his air combat skills to the Squadron pilots when the war broke out. The more senior Flight Commander, Sqn Ldr Brij Pal Singh Sikand held no grudge in ceding command of the detachment to Greene, in view of the latters experience.
Soon after landing at Pathankot on the evening of 2nd September, Greene was told plainly in an Operations brief that the patrolling Sabres had to be tackled at any cost. The plan consisted of four Mystéres luring the Sabres, while eight low flying Gnats popped up and pounced from two different directions. While the plan was bold, the large number of aircraft demanded a high order of formation integrity and radio discipline. Also, the operation had to be conducted swiftly since the Gnats limited fuel did not permit a prolonged turning fight.
As the IAF had expected, the morning of 3rd September saw PAF CAPs over Akhnur area. Pak Armys 7 Division had put in a request for air cover while its reinforcing elements forded River Tawi during the offensive against Akhnur. At first light, two Sabres and a Starfighter started a vigil which was continued an hour later by another similar trio. The Sabre pair included Flt Lt Yusuf Ali Khan of No 11 Sqn and Flg Off Abdul Khaliq of No 11 Sqn. The singleton was flown by No 9 Sqns Flg Off Abbas Mirza, whose schoolboy looks belied his proficiency at handling the aerodynamic wonder that was the F-104 Starfighter.
After patrolling for a while, the Sabres were warned about four bogeys approaching Akhnur at high altitude. Outnumbered two to one, Yusuf decided to go for them anyway and asked for intercept instructions. Before he could pick contact with the reported bogeys up in the sky, his eyes caught a glimpse of four Gnats zooming from below. Yusuf immediately ordered jettisoning of drop tanks but one of his wingmans tanks did not go. While groping with the switches to sort the problem, Abdul Khaliq lost sight of his Leader and, in effect ended up being a liability. Yusuf, therefore, instructed him to head for home and impulsively decided to handle the complex situation all by himself.
The four Mystéres, having apparently lured the patrolling Sabres, turned north and exited the battle area, leaving the Gnats to strike from behind. Led by Greene, the front Gnat section consisted of Flg Off M R Murdeshwar as No 2, Sqn Ldr Sikand as No 3 and Flg Off V S Pathania as No 4. Following instructions of Sqn Ldr Dandapani, the seasoned controller at Amritsar Radar, the Gnat formation continued to look out for the Sabres but to no avail. Yusuf, in the meantime, dove down unnoticed from almost 30,000 ft and without much ado, was able to place his missile sighting reticle on one of the Gnats1. A loud growl indicating Sidewinder lock-on was just what Yusuf could have asked for, in this one-versus-many scenario. Ready to press the missile firing button, he was rattled by a series of thuds on his aircraft. Confounded at what could have gone wrong at the vital moment, he looked back only to see a pair of Gnats behind him! The Gnats that were in front, meanwhile, broke to the left, obviously having been warned by the rear pair just in time.
Flt Lt Trevor Keelor and Flt Lt S Krishnaswamy, who were trailing the front Gnat section, had been able to sandwich Yusufs Sabre while he was busy with his quarry. Keelor opened up with the Gnats 30mm cannon causing extensive damage to the Sabre. A large portion of the elevator had been blown off, but Yusuf continued dogfighting somewhat shakily. Hearing his plight on the radio, Abdul Khaliq made an attempt to rejoin the fight as he had not gone much far. Luckily, the Sabres were able to pair up again and they continued to help each other fight their way out of the cloud of six Gnats2.
Flt Lt Farooq Haider, who had been controlling the fight from Sakesar Radar, apprehended the gravity of the situation and directed Mirzas nearby Starfighter into the midst of ongoing combat. The fearsome reputation of the Starfighter was not unfounded, it appeared, as the Gnats went helter skelter on sighting it. Abdul Khaliq, who at this time was being chased by Pathania, thus managed a lucky reprieve
"Pajh oye 104 eeee, Sikand had shouted out to Pathania in inimitable Punjabi (the English translation, Run its a 104 just cannot grasp the hint of mad rush in the expression3). The 104 did not stay in the fight for long as the idea was to charge in at supersonic speed and try a pot shot or, simply overwhelm the adversaries with sheer awe4. Mirza did his act a couple of times before leaving the scene; it had a salutary effect, as the dogfight broke off and the Gnats started egressing. Sikand, who had initiated the panic call, broke off too, but in an opposite direction, thus losing contact with his wingman as well as the rest of the formation.
At Sakesar Radar, Farooq was keeping abreast of the situation. Anticipating the need for reinforcement, he had scrambled another Starfighter to the scene. Flown by Flt Lt Hakimullah, it arrived a bit late for the Gnats, which had turned away. One Gnat, however, was seen to be behaving strangely; having gone back, it turned about and re-entered Pakistani airspace. Hakimullah, who was supersonic at this time, was directed towards the errant intruder. Though Hakimullah could not sight the tiny Gnat at the speed he was flying, he learnt from Sakesar that his adversary had slowed down to what appeared like landing speed. Hakimullah set up orbit over the area, wondering if a forced landing was in progress. Shortly thereafter, to his utter surprise, he picked contact with a Gnat taxiing down the disused Pasrur airstrip near Sialkot.
When Greene and his formation members landed, they were in celebratory mood for what was believed to be Keelors kill. They were expecting Sikand, the gregarious fellow that he was, to join in any time for a hearty beer session. Little did they know that their Flight Commander was in Pakistani custody following a bizarre episode.
During interrogation Sikand claimed that almost all his systems failed soon after he was separated from his formation. Once he had lost visual contact with everyone, he tried to communicate on the radio, but found it dead. His guns too had jammed, fuel flow had become erratic and the fuel quantity was low; incredibly, his compass also went berserk and he lost his bearings. If there was any hope of making it back, the Starfighters snuffed it. Under the circumstances, the airstrip that he saw was a godsend, no matter that he stepped off his Gnat as a vanquished airman.
Yusuf somehow managed to keep his badly damaged aircraft in control and, extricated out of the battle area alongwith his wingman. With marginal fuel as well as a dead radio, he made it to Sargodha; however, after landing he discovered that there was no hydraulic pressure for braking, and the Sabre ended up in the over-run arrester barrier without further damage. For having fought single-handedly against six Gnats and, also for recovering a badly damaged aircraft, Yusuf was awarded a Sitara-i-Jurat5. Keelor, who claimed having seen Yusufs aircraft go down, was awarded a Vir Chakra for what was believed to be IAFs first kill. The picture of the damaged Sabre released by the PAF told a different story, though.
When the Gnat flew into Sargodha three days after landing at Pasrur, with an escort of six Sabres, it was greeted with acclamation, and its few secrets were soon laid bare, although a tactical evaluation was not possible until after the end of hostilities. It was recognised as an effective little aircraft, although with limited range and an inferior turning circle to the Sabre. As for its muchboosted reputation as 'Sabre-Slayer'. it seems that in this respect, the Indians appear to have been victims of their own propaganda. Certainly the Gnat was regarded by the PAF with less respect than the Hunter. Nor is the PAF convinced that it lost more than one or two Sabres to Gnats throughout the entire period of hostilities with India. And when its guns were tested immediately after its capture, they worked perfectly.
Sikand was promptly apprehended by Pak Army troops and had to spend the next five months as a POW. After his repatriation, the IAF somehow took a light view of the incident and, Sikand resumed his career; he eventually rose to the rank of an Air Marshal6. His aircraft was flown to Sargodha by Sqn Ldr Saad Hatmi, who carried out several evaluation flights after the war. Hatmi, who had flown the Gnat extensively while on an exchange assignment with the RAF, did not find the IAF version any different. . After its brief service with the new air arm, Gnat IE1083 was consigned to the PAF Museum, where it continues to bemuse visitors with one of the bizarre episodes of the 1965 War.
The loss of four Vampires on the opening day of the 65 War was a major blow to the morale of the IAF and, it was felt in all quarters that something had to be done urgently. A grudge fight was, therefore, planned and the nimble Gnat was chosen as the most suitable fighter. Its small size, good turning ability and fast acceleration were seen to be lethal attributes vis-à-vis PAFs main fighter, the Sabre. A detachment of eight Gnats from Ambala-based No 23 Sqn was flown to Pathankot and Sqn Ldr William Greene was deputed to lead it. Greene had done his Fighter Leaders Course from UK and was busy imparting his air combat skills to the Squadron pilots when the war broke out. The more senior Flight Commander, Sqn Ldr Brij Pal Singh Sikand held no grudge in ceding command of the detachment to Greene, in view of the latters experience.
Soon after landing at Pathankot on the evening of 2nd September, Greene was told plainly in an Operations brief that the patrolling Sabres had to be tackled at any cost. The plan consisted of four Mystéres luring the Sabres, while eight low flying Gnats popped up and pounced from two different directions. While the plan was bold, the large number of aircraft demanded a high order of formation integrity and radio discipline. Also, the operation had to be conducted swiftly since the Gnats limited fuel did not permit a prolonged turning fight.
As the IAF had expected, the morning of 3rd September saw PAF CAPs over Akhnur area. Pak Armys 7 Division had put in a request for air cover while its reinforcing elements forded River Tawi during the offensive against Akhnur. At first light, two Sabres and a Starfighter started a vigil which was continued an hour later by another similar trio. The Sabre pair included Flt Lt Yusuf Ali Khan of No 11 Sqn and Flg Off Abdul Khaliq of No 11 Sqn. The singleton was flown by No 9 Sqns Flg Off Abbas Mirza, whose schoolboy looks belied his proficiency at handling the aerodynamic wonder that was the F-104 Starfighter.
After patrolling for a while, the Sabres were warned about four bogeys approaching Akhnur at high altitude. Outnumbered two to one, Yusuf decided to go for them anyway and asked for intercept instructions. Before he could pick contact with the reported bogeys up in the sky, his eyes caught a glimpse of four Gnats zooming from below. Yusuf immediately ordered jettisoning of drop tanks but one of his wingmans tanks did not go. While groping with the switches to sort the problem, Abdul Khaliq lost sight of his Leader and, in effect ended up being a liability. Yusuf, therefore, instructed him to head for home and impulsively decided to handle the complex situation all by himself.
The four Mystéres, having apparently lured the patrolling Sabres, turned north and exited the battle area, leaving the Gnats to strike from behind. Led by Greene, the front Gnat section consisted of Flg Off M R Murdeshwar as No 2, Sqn Ldr Sikand as No 3 and Flg Off V S Pathania as No 4. Following instructions of Sqn Ldr Dandapani, the seasoned controller at Amritsar Radar, the Gnat formation continued to look out for the Sabres but to no avail. Yusuf, in the meantime, dove down unnoticed from almost 30,000 ft and without much ado, was able to place his missile sighting reticle on one of the Gnats1. A loud growl indicating Sidewinder lock-on was just what Yusuf could have asked for, in this one-versus-many scenario. Ready to press the missile firing button, he was rattled by a series of thuds on his aircraft. Confounded at what could have gone wrong at the vital moment, he looked back only to see a pair of Gnats behind him! The Gnats that were in front, meanwhile, broke to the left, obviously having been warned by the rear pair just in time.
Flt Lt Trevor Keelor and Flt Lt S Krishnaswamy, who were trailing the front Gnat section, had been able to sandwich Yusufs Sabre while he was busy with his quarry. Keelor opened up with the Gnats 30mm cannon causing extensive damage to the Sabre. A large portion of the elevator had been blown off, but Yusuf continued dogfighting somewhat shakily. Hearing his plight on the radio, Abdul Khaliq made an attempt to rejoin the fight as he had not gone much far. Luckily, the Sabres were able to pair up again and they continued to help each other fight their way out of the cloud of six Gnats2.
Flt Lt Farooq Haider, who had been controlling the fight from Sakesar Radar, apprehended the gravity of the situation and directed Mirzas nearby Starfighter into the midst of ongoing combat. The fearsome reputation of the Starfighter was not unfounded, it appeared, as the Gnats went helter skelter on sighting it. Abdul Khaliq, who at this time was being chased by Pathania, thus managed a lucky reprieve
"Pajh oye 104 eeee, Sikand had shouted out to Pathania in inimitable Punjabi (the English translation, Run its a 104 just cannot grasp the hint of mad rush in the expression3). The 104 did not stay in the fight for long as the idea was to charge in at supersonic speed and try a pot shot or, simply overwhelm the adversaries with sheer awe4. Mirza did his act a couple of times before leaving the scene; it had a salutary effect, as the dogfight broke off and the Gnats started egressing. Sikand, who had initiated the panic call, broke off too, but in an opposite direction, thus losing contact with his wingman as well as the rest of the formation.
At Sakesar Radar, Farooq was keeping abreast of the situation. Anticipating the need for reinforcement, he had scrambled another Starfighter to the scene. Flown by Flt Lt Hakimullah, it arrived a bit late for the Gnats, which had turned away. One Gnat, however, was seen to be behaving strangely; having gone back, it turned about and re-entered Pakistani airspace. Hakimullah, who was supersonic at this time, was directed towards the errant intruder. Though Hakimullah could not sight the tiny Gnat at the speed he was flying, he learnt from Sakesar that his adversary had slowed down to what appeared like landing speed. Hakimullah set up orbit over the area, wondering if a forced landing was in progress. Shortly thereafter, to his utter surprise, he picked contact with a Gnat taxiing down the disused Pasrur airstrip near Sialkot.
When Greene and his formation members landed, they were in celebratory mood for what was believed to be Keelors kill. They were expecting Sikand, the gregarious fellow that he was, to join in any time for a hearty beer session. Little did they know that their Flight Commander was in Pakistani custody following a bizarre episode.
During interrogation Sikand claimed that almost all his systems failed soon after he was separated from his formation. Once he had lost visual contact with everyone, he tried to communicate on the radio, but found it dead. His guns too had jammed, fuel flow had become erratic and the fuel quantity was low; incredibly, his compass also went berserk and he lost his bearings. If there was any hope of making it back, the Starfighters snuffed it. Under the circumstances, the airstrip that he saw was a godsend, no matter that he stepped off his Gnat as a vanquished airman.
Yusuf somehow managed to keep his badly damaged aircraft in control and, extricated out of the battle area alongwith his wingman. With marginal fuel as well as a dead radio, he made it to Sargodha; however, after landing he discovered that there was no hydraulic pressure for braking, and the Sabre ended up in the over-run arrester barrier without further damage. For having fought single-handedly against six Gnats and, also for recovering a badly damaged aircraft, Yusuf was awarded a Sitara-i-Jurat5. Keelor, who claimed having seen Yusufs aircraft go down, was awarded a Vir Chakra for what was believed to be IAFs first kill. The picture of the damaged Sabre released by the PAF told a different story, though.
When the Gnat flew into Sargodha three days after landing at Pasrur, with an escort of six Sabres, it was greeted with acclamation, and its few secrets were soon laid bare, although a tactical evaluation was not possible until after the end of hostilities. It was recognised as an effective little aircraft, although with limited range and an inferior turning circle to the Sabre. As for its muchboosted reputation as 'Sabre-Slayer'. it seems that in this respect, the Indians appear to have been victims of their own propaganda. Certainly the Gnat was regarded by the PAF with less respect than the Hunter. Nor is the PAF convinced that it lost more than one or two Sabres to Gnats throughout the entire period of hostilities with India. And when its guns were tested immediately after its capture, they worked perfectly.
Sikand was promptly apprehended by Pak Army troops and had to spend the next five months as a POW. After his repatriation, the IAF somehow took a light view of the incident and, Sikand resumed his career; he eventually rose to the rank of an Air Marshal6. His aircraft was flown to Sargodha by Sqn Ldr Saad Hatmi, who carried out several evaluation flights after the war. Hatmi, who had flown the Gnat extensively while on an exchange assignment with the RAF, did not find the IAF version any different. . After its brief service with the new air arm, Gnat IE1083 was consigned to the PAF Museum, where it continues to bemuse visitors with one of the bizarre episodes of the 1965 War.
Chogy
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Speaking of "Bottles of Whiskey"... the fighter wing I was part of consisted of the 58th, 59th and 60th fighter squadrons. The 60th squadron (The "Crows") had a bottle of Stolichnaya Vodka in a beautiful wooden case, with a brass plaque that read "For the first Crow to down a MiG." In the late 1980's, the Crows hadn't seen combat, but in 1991, they did, as exchange pilots with the 58th squadron. One of the Crows downed a MiG in Desert Storm and got the bottle.
The Doolittle raiders, the guys who flew B-25's off the Hornet carrier in WW2, had a Tontine display at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The display consisted of a bottle of ancient brandy, and a silver chalice for each crew member. They held annual reunions. As these guys age and pass on, their chalice is inverted in their separate niche. The last two surviving Doolittle raiders are to open the brandy and toast their departed comrades. It is a very nice display, and I'm guessing they are getting close to opening the brandy.
Sorry for the diversion... it is traditions like these that made military flying so appealing.
The Doolittle raiders, the guys who flew B-25's off the Hornet carrier in WW2, had a Tontine display at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The display consisted of a bottle of ancient brandy, and a silver chalice for each crew member. They held annual reunions. As these guys age and pass on, their chalice is inverted in their separate niche. The last two surviving Doolittle raiders are to open the brandy and toast their departed comrades. It is a very nice display, and I'm guessing they are getting close to opening the brandy.
Sorry for the diversion... it is traditions like these that made military flying so appealing.
Jango
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Nice share Chogy. Military traditions are always one to be cherished.
Were those Mig's specifically russian airforce, or any nation?
Iraqi Air Force
Jango
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thanks. I was wondering when did USAF encounter USSR in air war!
Windjammer
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Thanks for the light hearted input sir, sadly, the Indo/Pakistan scenario didn't involve any crystal decanter presented in a blue velvet box....."Send a bottle of Whiskey" was the S O S message sent out by the desperate Indian Sector Commander to the Indian Air Force HQ, which duly arrived in the form of Vampires described in the OP, the message incidentally, was intercepted by the Pakistan Army. Talking of spirits, the pilot of the surrendered Gnat, bet six bottles of beer with the PAF pilot, claiming, let alone fly, the Pakistani pilot will not be able to start the aircraft. In the end however, being in a prison, the Indian pilot was in no position to pay his bet.
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